Best UK vineyards to visit and bottles to try

With an estimated 1,030 vineyards currently in the country, sales are also going from strength to strength, with 8.8 million bottles of English and Welsh wine sold in 2023.

So what’s led to this change in British wine? A number of things, actually. An increased understanding of viticulture; more innovative people becoming involved in the wine-making scene, and the rising temperatures because of the climate crisis have all resulted in this new, celebrated generation of wines.

And there’s no better place to try out the wines than in the vineyards themselves. While places like Bordeaux, Douro or Tuscany are well-travelled wine-tasting locations, those in the know are now keeping it British, and heading off to wine tours in the rolling hills and rushing rivers of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Somerset and Wales. These locations often offer immersive tasting experiences, boutique stays and Michelin star-level dining amid the vines.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the best British vineyards to visit – or their wines to try – from long-established producers like Nyetimber and Chapel Down to exciting newcomers carving out reputations in lesser-known corners of the country.

Can the UK rival California’s famed Napa and Sonoma Valley? It’s a yes from us – and with the additional bonus that an excellent cream tea is never too far away, too.

London

Forty Hall Vineyard

We start, almost unbelievably, in London – Enfield in North London, to be exact – where it’s likely to be one of the only vineyards in the world where tower blocks and skyscraper cityscapes can be seen in the distance beyond the vineyard.

Forty Hall Vineyard – just a 10-minute drive from Enfield Town or Turkey Street train station – was set up as a social enterprise in 2009 by Sarah Vaughn Roberts, who planted the vines as part of a project with the neighbouring environmental school, Capel Manor College.

Set within the stunning grounds of the Forty Hall Estate, a Grade 1 listed Jacobean manor house and its surrounding gardens and parkland, the place is worthy of a day trip in itself. But just past the working farm – where you might spot piglets or cows en route – are the two fields of vineyards.

The 10 acres of land produces about 30,000 bottles a year – though like all the winemakers in this article have commented, this varies according to the weather: 2023, for example, was considered a washout year for many because of the wet weather.

Emma Lundie is head of operations at Forty Hall, and as we wander through the vineyard on a sunny May day, she explains that producing great, certified organic wine is just one part of the not-for-profit project. “The people element is really important to us – we have about 100 people who volunteer to work on the vines all the year,” she says, as they focus on the eco-therapy benefits of time spent in the vines; physical and mental wellbeing, through social connection and gentle outdoor activity. “For a lot of people coming here, whether working or visiting, it’s like a little sanctuary,” she adds.

The must-try bottle here is their London Brut, with, fittingly, apple and pear notes; a real crisp and fruity treat, while their Bacchus sets the bar high for what’s becoming a signature English grape. Book their tasting tours (£21) in advance – there’s two a month from the spring time during their regular farmers markets – and it’s also a nice excuse to pick up some seasonal local fruit and veg while here.

Renegade

Jumping onto a double-decker bus to Walthamstow, there’s another urban winery in the capital city: Renegade. First set up in Bethnal Green in 2016, they moved to another site further out east in 2021, where – using grapes from both around the UK and Europe – they make modern, expressive wines. So while they don’t have a vineyard to tour, they have two venues where you can taste their wines, which all have the stand-out bottle labels featuring eyes of someone who lives in the UK, and also named after them too.

It’s worth searching out Jamie, their bacchus pet nat (naturally slightly sparkling), for an elderflower and apricot-like fizz, or the slightly more minerally still, skin-contact bacchus, Rahul. New for 2025 is their Pig’s Nose Pink, named after Renegade’s founder, Warwick, who described the sort of rosé he wanted to create. Animal-lovers will be pleased to know this wine – like all Renegade’s wines – is vegan.

Kent

OFFVINE

South of the capital, the county of Kent, often dubbed England’s garden, is fast becoming known as the Napa Valley of the UK, with around 120 vineyards currently growing the country’s best wines. This south-eastern region enjoys some of the warmest, sunny weather in the UK, and the chalky nature of the soil – similar to the terroir of the Champagne region in France — allows the grapes to flourish on the vines, which is why it’s arguably the heart of the new British wine production.

It’s something Kent-dwelling Rachel Proctor recognised when she set up OFFVINE, a wine-tasting tour of some of the best independent vineyards in the area in 2024. With the tagline 'you drink, we drive', the tour (from £125) picks up wine enthusiasts from Ashford train station, then ferries them around two or three local vineyards by minivan, stopping halfway for a charcuterie lunch laden with local cured meats and cheeses. It’s a simple, inspired idea; a new generation of wine tasting tours.

“I’m no wine expert,” she says. “But I’ve done my 10,000 hours of tasting and I want more to make it accessible for everyone. My aim is to get people who spend lots of time in wine bars but wouldn’t think to go on a tour discovering English wine. On the tours, you’ll meet the winemaker and hear their story as you taste the wine and enjoy the nature around you.”

Nine Oaks

There are plenty of vineyards to visit in the vicinity of Ashford. Nine Oaks is a young, family-run business who first took over three hectares of farmland to put in vines back in 2020, and asked ChatGPT what vines they should plant. This novel idea has paid off: their pinot noir rosé has won awards at the Independent English Wine Awards, and their Classic Cuvée is another big hitter. “We just wanted to make the best wine we possibly could,” says owner Martyn, which is a great mission statement. There are more exciting plans set for these up-and-coming winemakers, with them shortly opening bottles of their 2022 Blanc de Blancs for the first time. Tours here cost from £16.

Westwell

Westwell – set up by former music label founder Adrian Pike – is another big name in the Kent wine world. Set by the historic Pilgrims Way, close to Canterbury, its wines like the blanc de blancs have also become a legend in their own right, while those who prefer the more natural end of wine will enjoy a glass of its skin contact ortega, their signature on-site grape. Meanwhile, the Little Bit wine (a nod to the song by Lykke Li), is an lively, experimental drink made from the final, hard press of the grapes and is great value at £16 a bottle.

Tours at Westwell cost £28 a person and the large barn on the estate makes it a destination in itself. It’s become a popular location in the local community, hosting events like weekly pizza nights, cinema screenings, theatre productions – even an annual dog show.

Ham Street

Ham Street is one of the newer vineyards on this list, set up by husband and wife duo, Lucie and Jules in 2019. They are fiercely biodynamic, focusing on regenerative farming, and create small batch natural wines that are the toast of the area. Ham Street's chardonnay bacchus 23 (£27) lies somewhere between a natural white and an orange wine; and is perfect for long summer days, or pairing with grilled meats, fish or vegetables – one for the barbecue season. Tours and tastings at its bijou vineyard cost £25 per person, with a minimum of four people.

Chapel Down

Any guide to British wine would be remiss not to include two of the biggest names in the business, Chapel Down and Nyetimber. Chapel Down, one of the UK’s biggest producers of wine, is based near the market town of Tenterden, and its sprawling vineyards attract wine lovers all year long. Boasting 2.4 million bottles of the stuff a year, there’s plenty of unique opportunities to sample its offerings on a visit to their well-established site. There’s the option of taking a self-guided tour (£30), walking through the vines at a relaxed pace, or instead, there’s their vine, wine and dine tour (£110) where a guide will take you through a tasting of five of the signature wines, followed by a three-course lunch at its onsite restaurant, The Swan, whose elevated take on local produce landed it two AA Rosettes. For the more wellness-minded, sign up for the sunset yoga sessions, or in the height of summer, a popular event is the Bacchus Orchestra gig, where the band play classics and show tunes amid the vines. Does the music help the grapes better? Possibly – maybe that’s the reason that Chapel Down’s wines have won so many awards – its rosé brut previously won a platinum award in the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Nyetimber

Nyetimber – who have been making wine since 1988 – is the other behemoth of the English wine scene, with its fizz being regarded as the Great British standard and appearing in some of the best restaurants and fanciest events in the country. Its vineyards sprawl across several sites in Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, but the main site in West Chiltington, surrounded by its verdant hills, is best visited for one of its celebrated Open Day tours (£50). The two-and-half-hour experience takes in its celebrated vineyards – some of the oldest vines in England – and culminates in a tasting of the best of its sparkling wine. Meanwhile, foodies will want to splash out on its bucket-list fine dining experience (£195). Starting with canapés and classic cuvee in its White Barn, the sumptuous four-course dinner then moves to its 15th-century Medieval Barn: a total bucket-list experience, and the finest way to enjoy its vintages.

Sussex

Tillingham

A little further south, close to the charming seaside town of Rye, is Tillingham. This biodynamic vineyard is perhaps one of the best and most well-known natural wine producers in the country. Their speciality is a qvevri wine, an orange wine that’s fermented in clay pots, as per the centuries-old Georgian process. Its yearly offerings quickly sell out, so real fans know to get in there early to ensure getting their hands on its coveted floral and white fruity col, its vinho verde-like chardonnay or their tangy pet nat. There’s also 11 rooms of boutique accommodation, and if you’re staying overnight, then the tasting menu in the gourmet restaurant is a must. If you’re just stopping by for a wine-tasting (£35), it’s worth timing it for when the pizza oven is fired up, for a casual and cheaper dining experience among the vines.

Norfolk

Flint

To the north-east of Sussex, in East Anglia, Flint are leading the way in ultra-premium but small-batch wines. It's making big waves with its crisp, appley flagship fizz called Charmat, after the method of making the bubbles. While wine tasting tours cost £15 – probably the most budget-friendly on our list – it's also big on social events. Any given month might see a twilight supperclub, a yoga session held in the vines or live music on its lively Flint Friday summer nights.

Somerset

Wraxall

Wraxall’s vines might have been first planted in 1974, but Lexa and David, who took over the site in 2021 have taken the vines – and the wines – to heady new heights since then. Just a stone’s throw from Glastonbury, the couple are all about making great wines and presenting them unpretentiously and with as much accessibility to the public as possible. That’s why they’re equally happy giving vineyard tours and tastings (£30) themselves, or setting up self-guided tastings to let people enjoy it by themselves at their own leisure.

“In five years, we’ve seen some massive changes in how British wines have been viewed,” says Lexa. “I think there’s been more publicity about it, it’s more accessible and personally I think it’s better.”

“We’re noticing that groups of people, like birthday parties or hen parties are asking for English sparkling wine now, rather than prosecco,” she adds. “It feels like a younger generation are enjoying discovering it, while older people are also more open to it,” as evidenced by a recent 70th birthday party held in a marquee in the vineyards.

Wraxall’s on-site accommodation gives a quaint slice of English countryside life with several cottages next to the vineyards, while its green fruit-inspired bacchus – which won Best Still Bacchus in the 2024 WineGB awards – is best popped in its look-out restaurant and lounge situated at the top of the hill of vineyards, with the bucolic greens of the local farms stretching far out into the distance.

Durslade Vineyard

The pandemic and shortly afterwards saw a slew of London-based creatives swap city living for the more relaxed pace of life down in the countryside of Somerset. In particular, the charming village of Bruton, which, thanks to the arrival of the Hauser and Wirth Somerset gallery in 2014, has also made the place an artistic hub over the previous few years. Set within the converted Durslade Farm grounds is Roth Bar – with a steampunk-esque installation above the bar – and the excellent on-site Italian-inspired restaurant Da Costa, with fresh produce grown in the farm cooked to perfection over a wood-fire. The restaurant is also the best place to try the Maid Of Bruton wines, with the grapes grown in the nearby Durslade Vineyard, situated next to the river Brue. Vineyard director Elias Wirth says the site now makes an an average of 12,000 bottles a year: “It feels like the wine is really building a name for itself, I think because there’s not so many vineyards around here, and also because there’s so many restaurants in and around Bruton who are buying our wine. The sparkling wine is probably our most popular.” As is their lively, berry-like rosé, which gives any Provence pink a run for its money.

There’s a nice little nod to the fact the land used to be home to an ancient Roman settlement, who likely also made wine – Elias found a Roman coin once while doing some metal detecting, and its design now adorns the bottles. Plans are afoot for building a feasting and tasting events space above the vineyard – but in the meantime, the wines can also be taken home with other tempting local produce from the Farm Shop on site.

Cornwall

Further south west, the summer climes of Cornwall are also proving to be an ideal spot for a vineyard. Camel Valley – perched alongside the Camel river – is now almost one of the grandparents of the British wine scene, producing wines since 1989, with one of its favourites being the Cornwall brut. It's open for a 10.30am tour every Monday to Friday, from April to September, with tickets costing £20, but for those on a more casual, road-trip time frame, it’s possible to just visit for a glass (or half) of wine on its vineyard terrace where you’ll also be drinking up some incredible views, too.

Wales

Ancre Hill Estates

Over in Wales, Ancre Hill Estates in Monmouth is an exciting young vineyard making some of the UK’s most interesting natural wines. It is certified biodynamic and organic; but this is just a fancy way of saying they make wines with as little intervention as possible; leaving it to be as close to fermented grape juice as it was first made thousands of years ago. Perhaps you’ve seen the Clockwork Orange-themed label of its orange wine; or perhaps the reviews herald their “wildly delicious pinot noir”; but their wine is a must-taste if you’re in this part of the world. The vineyard isn’t currently open for visitors, but is available for sale online, from stockists across the UK – and you might see it pop up in the increasing number of British wine fairs in the country.

Llanerch

We finish the whistlestop tour of British wines with a bit of luxury. Llanerch, west of Cardiff, is a pioneering vineyard hotel. The farm property dates back to the 1800s, but in the 1970s was bought and transformed into a hotel by the previous owners, who also began experimenting with on-site vineyards in 1986 as a retirement project. Now the fruits of their labour can be tried on a trip to their stylish and high-end boutique accommodation. Like much of the aforementioned vineyards, it’s their fizz that’s the standout drink, and their Cariad sparkling brut has pleasing notes of brioche and honey.

There’s no better way to end a tour than with a glass on its rooftop terrace which overlooks the vines, or can be enjoyed as part of its wine-tasting session (£25). Those making a full weekend of it can try even more of its home-grown range at the on-site restaurant, Roots, which does a great Sunday roast, or for the sweet-tooth, pair it with a scone or strawberry and cream tart, as part of its afternoon tea set (£30). And there’s no need to leave pups at home – they’re welcome to join in the dog-friendly area of the restaurant.

For more like this, check out more UK travel recommendations

Best dog-friendly hotels in the UK
Best restaurants in Brighton
Best afternoon teas in London
Best themed afternoon teas in London
Best afternoon tea for kids in London
10 best places in London to eat classic British dishes
Best bakeries in London
Best burgers in London
Best pasta restaurants in London
Best afternoon teas in the UK